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Ultramarine Blue French SF

This series of 13 white and transparent colors are milled in non-yellowing safflower oil for a brilliance and clarity that endures over time — ideal for passages of white and for glazing the top layers of a painting.

This color contains the following pigments:

PB29—Ultramarine [Blue]

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulfur

Chemical Formula

Na8-10Al6Si6O24S2-4 or Na6-8Al6Si6O24S2-4

Properties

Ultramarine is the standard warm blue, a brilliant blue pigment that has the most purple and least green in its undertone. It has a moderate to high tinting strength and a beautiful transparency. Synthetic Ultramarine is not as vivid a blue as natural Ultramarine. Ultramarine dries slowly in oil and tends to produce clean, though granular, washes in watercolor. French Ultramarine mixes well with Alizarin colors in oil and watercolor form to create a range of purples and violets. It can dull when mixed with white in acrylic form, but mixes well with other colors. The shade varies based on manufacturer. Considered a great color for glazes, it is not suitable for frescoing.

Permanence

Ultramarine has excellent permanence, although synthetic Ultramarine is not as permanent as natural Ultramarine. It may discolor if exposed to acid because of its sulfuric content.

Toxicity

Ultramarine has no significant hazards.

History

The name for this pigment comes from the Middle Latin ultra, meaning beyond, and mare, meaning sea, because it was imported from Asia to Europe by sea. It is a prominent component of lapis lazuli and was used on Asian temples starting in the 6th century. It was one of the most expensive pigments in 16th century Europe, worth twice its weight in gold, and so was used sparingly and when commissions were larger. Ultramarine is currently imitated by a process invented in France in 1826 by Jean Baptiste Guimet, making blue affordable to artists and extending the range of colors on their palettes.

PV15—Ultramarine Violet

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulfur

Chemical Formula

H2Na(4-6)Al6Si6O24S2

Properties

Ultramarine Violet is a semi-transparent, dull purple to pale violet with low tinting strength. As a pigment, it is weak in most oil applications, but it performs better in water-based mediums, pastels, and chalks. It is generally the bluest of the violet pigments, although there can be significant differences in color across brands. It is not suitable for fresco work and does not mix well with yellows. Ultramarine Violet is a variant of Ultramarine Blue, and their pigment properties are identical.